There was applause and a sense of relief in Vanuatu's parliament today as Tallis Obed Moses was voted in as Vanuatu's new President.
Mr Moses, who had been a Presbyterian pastor, was sworn in this afternoon in a brief ceremony.
President-elect Tallis Obed Moses arrives at Parliament for his investiture. Photo: Dan McGarry - Vanuatu Daily Post
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He was one of 16 people put forward for the role and emerged with two/thirds of the vote.
Mr Moses replaces Father Baldwin Lonsdale who died suddenly last month.
Media director of the Vanuatu Daily Post Dan McGarry was at parliament this morning for the vote which he said was a nail-biting affair with the President Tallis Obed Moses only emerging victorious with the very last votes cast.
Voting for Vanuatu's new President. Photo: Dan McGarry - Vanuatu Daily Post
Mr McGarry said the new president is a man of the cloth who trained in Australia and Papua New Guinea and has served as the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Vanuatu.
"And he is also widely reviewed as somebody who is of impeccable moral character and I think that ultimately was the decisive factor as people took the legacy of the late president Baldwin Lonsdale into account when they cast their votes."